MBTA board approves offering lease to right of way

The MBTA Board of Directors voted at their July 11th meeting to enter into a 99 year lease of the railroad property to the City of Newton. The lease will cover the right-of-way of the old railroad tracks behind Needham St that runs from National Lumber to the Charles River. This is a crucial step on the way to having a new park Upper Falls by this time next year.

Now that the MBTA Board has voted to proceed, the actual signing of the lease between the MBTA and the city should happen relatively quickly since it’s a standard lease and won’t require any protracted negotiation. Once the city has a lease in hand the project can kick into high gear.

Tha MBTA board also voted to go forward with leases for Needham, Dover and Medfield for their tri-town Bay Colony Rail Trail which will be built a few miles down the same track from Newton.